A tax abatement approved tonight by the Jersey City City Council will allow two major construction projects to move forward at Journal Square and Downtown.

Scores of union carpenters, electricians, plumbers and other workers were on hand when the council approved the five-year abatement for the proposed 50-story tower to be located at 65 Bay St.

The tower is designed to have 447 units, including retail, and would share the Trump Tower parking deck but add 144 spaces to it.

Council members were adamant that union workers and local workers be employed at the project and a spokesperson for the project said all work at the project will be done by union workers.

“By God we are going to make sure that is enforced and we are going to make sure you get Jersey City people to work here,” said Council President Rolando Lavarro and as the crowd cheered he added the measure passed unanimously.

The council also approved a 20-year abatement for construction of controversial $22 million project at 25 Senate Place which will be a 266-unit residential and retail project.

At the first reading of the Senate Street abatement ordinance, residents railed against the generosity of the abatement, the stress the new residents would put on the school system and its alleged unfairness to regular taxpayers. They also said abatements are no longer necessary to bring developers to Jersey City’s Gold Coast.

A public hearing on Jersey City’s 2014 budget was also held and a handful of residents criticized various items of the budget. Some criticized the amount of interest the city is paying on its debt. More than one person complained that the budget provides no money for continuing the renovation of the history Apple Tree house.

The $501 million proposed budget slashes about $14 million from last year’s budget and includes a 2.1 percent tax cut. Last year’s $516 million budget, which was approved in July, included a nearly 8 percent tax hike, that city officials blamed on the previous administration.

City officials said it will be a month or more before a vote on adopting the budget.